run for
berth holders by berth holders
Members’
Newsletter Edition No. 110
www.shbha.co.uk May 2007
|
B |
eware! Channel 80!
In January this year the harbour
changed it’s working channel to 80. Previously, of course, it had used channel
17 which was sometimes over-spoken by passing shipping because the channel is
allocated to inter-ship and port operations.
Indeed, this was one of the reasons for changing. Unfortunately since
the change several issues have arisen and being aware of them could be helpful.
In the
past, if you tuned in when on board, you would have heard the comings and
goings of the marina. Requests for bridges and the like gave you an idea of the
internal traffic flow and demand for the locks. That was possible because
Channel 17 is a simplex channel (ie you can hear both ends of the
communications). Channel 80 is however a duplex channel (ie you only hear one
half of the conversation). This means that you only hear the lock-keeper and
this can be confusing. Sometimes you are not sure if it is you they are talking
to! ‘Vessel approaching the lock….’ Could be a vessel inbound or outbound!
‘Bridge going up for you now.’ may not be for you but someone going the other
way! This can happen when several vessels inadvertently call at the same time.
They do not know that they are over-speaking because they don’t hear each
other. On occasions the lock keepers have had as many as four radio calls at
the same time. Extricating the correct details can take a little time and you
may be told to ‘Standby’.
The
Association have discussed the issue with the Marina Operations Manager and all
are trying to be more specific in an attempt to reduce problems but the
situation is not ideal. We will continue to monitor the situation and ask you
to report any difficulties to us and/or the staff on duty.
The Royal Sovereign Light (part four)
I would first of all like to thank
the members of both the Sovereign Harbour Berth-Holders Association and the
Sovereign Harbour Yacht Club who supported the Royal Sovereign Light
presentation evening on February 1st. 2007. Seventy two members
attended the event which makes the work undertaken worthwhile.
During the
course of my research into the Royal Sovereign Vessel and Tower I received a
letter from Mr. Kenneth Blackwell of East Cowes on the Isle of Wight who told
me about his time aboard the Royal Sovereign Light Vessel when he was 18 years
old. He writes,
“I served
aboard the Royal Sovereign Light Vessel for a short period during 1940 under
Captain Wilgress and during that time I saw many aerial battles and attacks on
coastal convoys by German E-Boats. The
only means of communication was by semaphore.
Stores
were taken aboard by the Trinity House Tender.Food was not in plentiful supply
and as there were no fridges, the meat was taken aboard fresh and then salted
down. Bread soon went green on the outside so we had to cut that off and then
eat the rest. If we were lucky one of the crew would bake fresh bread. Water,
coal and other supplies were topped up every two weeks, weather permitting.
One of the
jobs we had to do was to paint the ship. The paint we used was pinky red and
had the nick-name ‘crab fat ‘. Lights were electric powered from an on board
oil fired generator but we did not have any showers or baths. All washing was
done in buckets heated on a coal burning stove.
Fishing
was a popular hobby, when we were off duty, as was making ships in bottles and
mat making. During the summer we had lots of visits from people ashore and at
Christmas time the Mayor of Eastbourne came aboard with poultry and other
gifts. Unfortunately during the war years visits were suspended.
The day
after I was taken ashore to join my Royal Navy Ship, the light vessel was
machine gunned and taken off station.”
At one
time this century there were 43 light vessels around the coast of Britain but
it was at the beginning of the 1980’s that Trinity House began to seriously
study the feasibility of converting existing light vessels to automatic
operation. In particular the light vessel offered a greater space availability
and far better sea keeping qualities. Over the years the policy has lead to the automation of all stations.
This signaled the beginning of the end of manned light vessels that had stood
guard over many of the seas most notorious areas and had without doubt saved
countless ships and their crews from a watery grave.
Go on, have a Sea Check!
There can
be no better time to have a free R.N.L.I. Sea Check as the summer sailing
season really gets under way.
It’s free,
confidential, at your convenience and it doesn’t hurt a bit !
To arrange
a Sea Check you can contact R.N.L.I. at Poole on 0800 3280600
or the
local area officer, Terry Colbran, on 07860 362367
Addition to discounts for
S.H.B.H.A. members.
Mr. Ted
Neame, a qualified boat and yacht surveyor, is offering a 20% discount for
members of the association.
His
company is ‘Fast Boat Surveys’ which is
based nearby at Battle and he can be contacted on 01424 777730 or 07933 771326.
R.N.L.I. Flag Day.
Mr Derek
Legg, chairman of the Eastbourne and District Branch of the R.N.L.I. could really do with some extra help,
particularly in Sovereign Harbour on their Flag Day, Saturday, August 4th
2007. If you can give some of your time to this worthy cause Derek will be
delighted to hear from you. He can be contacted on 01323 735970.
Gourmet Galley
Eggstatic !
You will need, 1 good sized onion (the reds are
usually sweeter), 2 fresh eggs, 2 tablespoons of the cheese of your choice, 2
tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley if possible and 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs along with salt and pepper to
taste.
Trim the
top and bottom of your onion to provide a flattish surface to enable your onion
to be stable. Cut the onion in half latitudinally and scoop out some of the
inner rings to leave yourself with two cup shapes.
Place the
cups onto a baking tray and then break an egg into each half.
Dice the inner rings of onion and
combine them with the parsley, cheese and salt and pepper if needed. Give each
half of the onion a generous topping of the mixture, cover with a sprinkling of
breadcrumbs and cook in a medium oven for about 15 minutes.
If you
really want to push the boat out add some finely diced ham, smoked or green, to
the cheesy mixture and cook as mentioned above.
For those
of you who like a bit more of a challenge put your minds to work in solving the
precise wording of the following chain of letters.
FWMMAS,FOHSB,OTASH,TSTTC,NATTCUFN.
I can tell
you that the letters above relate to the last entry made into the log by the
Control Log Keeper, abrieviated as such, so he can beat the rush to the forward
mess and so be the first to – the beer/ get changed/ get a seat ! (answers in the next issue )
As I told
members at the AGM the year has been very busy and in addition to the events
there are always the regular meetings with the marina management.
Reports
from members seem to suggest that the parking situation is improving. There are
still some spots taken up by building work but the number should lessen as the
season progresses. During the busy periods, or when you go away, why not use
the underground car park which is underused? Any berth holder can get in using
their chip and pin card.
It won’t be long before the path is open we
have been told!!
A survey
of measures to save energy has resulted in only a limited number of
opportunities. Mindful of the fact that many of the facilities blocks have no
natural light the management are fearful that someone will be left in the
shower without a light! Things may therefore stay as they are in many places.
Pressure on the hoist has been
discussed, as have ways of streamlining the operation. The harbour are aware
that some berth holders have difficulty in booking a convenient lift and are
working on more ideas to improve this problem. If you are placed in the boat
yard, or indeed the boat park, please park your car in such a way as to not
slow down operations. If you go off for supplies please leave a mobile
telephone number clearly displayed so that you can be contacted if you are in
the way of boat movements. This helps the crew keep to time.
Currently
we are looking at ways of making sure enough information is available to
berth-holders in the event of a fire. You may well see evacuation routes and
muster points come to a place near you. Additional fire extinguishers are also
being considered.
One member suggested we had a
social event so that boat owners could get to know each other better. Currently
we are in the process of arranging a
lunch time event on Saturday 13th October so please mark the
date in your diary. More details will follow in due course.
I have
enjoyed my year as chairman and thank my hardworking officers and committee for
their support and effort on your behalf.
Coxswain’s Corner
Well, here we are well into the New
Year and the weather has been unbelievably kind to us. The Easter weekend was
amazing, what more could you ask for…. apart from a little bit more wind for
those trying to sail. It was nice to see so many people out on their boats
enjoying themselves and for us here at the lifeboat station we had a very quiet
weekend, which meant very few people had any problems and required our
assistance.
With the
Sussex Regatta taking place it was always going to be a very busy weekend and
all credit to the harbour staff. I think they managed very well.
We were
however called out on Good Friday afternoon to assist an 18 Meter Dutch barge
which had suffered engine failure in a position 10 miles east of Sovereign
Harbour while on passage from Bolougne to Bristol (where hopefully it will
receive a coat of paint). Two days before on the
Wednesday
evening the all weather lifeboat was called out to assist a sick crewmen
onboard a 24 meter Belgian beam trawler who was suffering from severe stomach
pains. This service involved taking a doctor out to assess the casualty and
transferring the casualty ashore to an awaiting ambulance when he was then
taken to hospital for treatment.
Easter
Sunday morning saw us out on exercise with the Coastguard helicopter, call sign
India Juliet, which went very well. Due to the complete lack of wind we had to
run at full speed to assist the helicopter with positioning. I was a little
frustrated when the pilot asked if we could go any faster! Never mind hopefully
it won’t be long before we get a new 25 knot lifeboat.
The one
thing that was very apparent over the weekend was the problem of not having a
waiting pontoon in the outer harbour. People were using the lifeboat to tie up
against. As a matter of courtesy I would request that people refrain from this
as the lifeboat has been damaged and more importantly a launch could be delayed
as a result of this.
A few
dates to note, which could be of interest if anyone wishes to meet the crews
and have the opportunity to look over the two Eastbourne lifeboats and support
the RNLI:
Sunday 10th June The all weather Lifeboat will be
moored up alongside the waterfront in the inner harbour between 10:30 &
16:30 as part of our open day where the public are able to look over the
lifeboat.
Saturday 30th June &
Sunday 1st July is the 999 Emergency Services display held at the western lawns, where
the inshore lifeboat will be on display. At 13:00h on each day, both lifeboats
will be afloat to give a demonstration. On at least one day this will involve
the Coastguard helicopter.
25th 26th
& 27th August are for us our main event of the year. The Eastbourne RNLI
Regatta, which is now in its third year, will take place. Once again, I am
please to confirm that the Berth Holders’ Association will be supporting the
Tender Olympics.
There will
be many events taking place over the three day event and for full information
or entry forms please visit our website at www.eastbournernli.org.uk
The one
thing we have changed this year is the powerboat events as in the past these
have been poorly attended. To attract more entries we will be running one event
along the same lines as the fishing boat predictive log race which is run out
at sea with prizes for first, second and third place finishers and prizes for
first, second and third best dressed boat. This is a fun event for all the
family so come along join in and have a great time and help support your local
lifeboats.
As we have
come to the end of the winter season I have now completed my Friday night
safety talks with the berth holders, I will end by hoping that those who
attended were able to learn a little and more importantly enjoyed themselves.
Safe
Sailing
Mark
Sawyer, Coxswain, Eastbourne Lifeboat
National Moorings and Marinas Panel
The
National Marinas and Moorings Panel hold two meetings a year at which the
Sovereign Harbour Berth-Holders Association is represented. This year our vice
chairman, Nick Jordan, attended both meetings on our behalf. His report on the
most recent meeting held at the London Boat show on Saturday, January 6th.
2007 is noted below.
‘ The
agenda covered matters arising from the previous meeting held at the
Southampton Boat Show in September 2006.
1. Fire Procedures – in the light of
the incident at Brighton Marina
a. evacuation by water
b. muster positions
2. The Yacht Harbour Association’s
(YHA) new ‘Code of Practice’ due to be published early 2007.
3. Berthing Contract – Chichester
Marina- fairness of termination section-discussed in the light of YHA latest standard license.
4. Boat Scrubbing Posts – Green Blue
– acceptable practice.
5. Crown Estates Commission (CEC) –
Marina funds rental database.
Association
updates from representatives present
Current
Issues.
1.Red Diesel
a) RYA legal department are already
involved in the illegal stopping of vessels.
b) Discussion on the problems and
possible implementation, Finance Act, etc.
2. Chichester Harbour – East Head –
Dangers of a breach as sea levels rise
(see www.conservancy.co.uk/environment/east_head.asp#reports)
3. EU requirements for on board
waste storage tanks – Lack of marina pump out facilities.
4. Square Mile – Gosport Marina
Signal strength too low – alternative providers.
5.
Dogs – Shamrock Key – Potential for a tragic accident caused by dogs being
allowed to roam free within marina environment.
6. Current berthing rates.
7. Current cost of diesel fuel.
8. Inland Waterways – British
Waterways has applied en masse for RYA accreditation.
These
meetings are very useful and provide for an exchange of ideas and are a conduit
directly to the RYA on matters concerning the Associations.
Having
attended two of these meetings to date I feel that we have a very well run
marina with a sympathetic management at Sovereign Harbour and our association
membership is one of the highest in the country.’
Nick Jordan, Vice-Chairman Sovereign Harbour Berth-holders
Association
Sink or Swim If you read Ray’s letter at the beginning of this edition
you may well decide to attend this year’s Sink or Swim event which will take
place during the afternoon on Saturday 3rd November. Sea survival
experts from Suffolk Marine Safety will lead you through a series of practical
activities. Ray thought it was a
‘breeze’ at the time but valued the training when he was in difficulty. To get
more information or book a place contact Sandi (07790 689137). If you just want
to try your lifejacket the RNLI Sea Safety team will also be on hand with lots
of help & advice. Replacement parts will also be on sale.
Sea Safety Evenings
2006/7
Three years ago we saw a poster about flares at a sea
safety evening for berth holders, what the different types were and there would
also be the opportunity to let some off.
We went along to the Lifeboat Station on the Friday and met Mark Sawyer
the coxswain of the Eastbourne Lifeboat and Sue Sydney. We thoroughly enjoyed the evening and
decided to attend the next few meetings; sadly for us we had missed most of the
previous sessions for that year but were told that they would be starting up
again in October. We kept an eye out
and in October, the posters appeared and we joined every session over the next
few winter months.
It came as something of a surprise when Sue asked us if we
would co-ordinate the group the following season. We were a bit anxious as Sue
would be a very hard act to follow! We
arranged a meeting with Mark and set out a programme of topics and put up our
first poster.
The first Friday arrived, would anyone turn up? Had anyone noticed the posters? We needn’t have worried, six people arrived;
two weeks later ten, then 16, gaining in numbers as the sessions went on, with
a maximum attendance of 32!
The sessions have been enlightening, entertaining and
everyone has enjoyed them. We have had
people who have been boating for a number of years and others who have only
just started. We have discussed passage
planning, knots & ropes, what
happens if the lifeboat or helicopter arrives to rescue you, lifejackets, life
rafts, we have looked at radio procedures, GPS systems, flares, the list seems
endless.
We would like to thank all of those who attended this year
and of course to Mark for giving us his time on Friday evenings, sharing his
knowledge and expertise with us; he always has a story to tell and always
encourages us to tell of our experiences, that way we can all learn from each
other.
We have enjoyed the organising and would like to thank Sue
for having faith in us. Hopefully we
will be running another series of safety evenings from October 2007 and that
some of you who attended this season will come back; we both learnt more during
our second year than the first! We hope
others who have boats and would like to know a little more about safety at sea
will come along and join us as well.
Pete and Carol
Meet the people
Florence Poinboeuf, BerthingAdministrator
Flo joined the harbour team, like
many others, as a seasonal worker in June 1993. She hadn’t been in England very
long and didn’t speak much English when she went on a guided tour and thought
‘What a beautiful project’. Having left France to improve her English after
graduating in tourism, and speaking fluent Spanish and Italian, she hopped up
and down talking to boat- owners visiting
the marina. She could see the potential for boats crossing the Channel and was
very proud when the harbour master at the time offered her the chance of a full
time administrative post at the end of that first season. Since arriving she
has not only mastered the language but also attended courses in customer care,
radio operation, administration, basic sea survival and even fire fighting!
Being the
berthing Administrator requires a fine balance of fairly meeting the needs of
those wanting a berth in certain parts of the marina and the company’s
requirement to maximize the income from berths. Flo enjoys meeting, and
talking, to the people but is not so keen on the ‘behind the scenes’ jobs such
as creating folders, checking insurance, drawing up contracts and issuing
invoices. She would like to get out and about more to meet clients on the
pontoons in order to find out details about the different areas. Unfortunately
when she has the time there are few people about to talk to! She gets
frustrated when she is unable to please people but doesn’t always have berths
with sun (or not!), nearby to facilities (or not!) long enough (or not!) so she
subsequently maintains a waiting list and relies on her spreadsheets. For
fourteen years Flo has worked weekends and Bank holidays but enjoys the freedom
of having a couple of midweek days off to get all the domestic tasks done when
there are no queues and parking is easy. Recognised by many, she enjoys the
close basis contact and feels she has successfully become part of the harbour
community and established many friendships.
Although
she enjoys her work she would love to drive the hoist but is not sure how she
would get on as she hates the cold and thinks she would die of hypothermia if
she had to work throughout the year. She also is so tiny that she doesn’t think
she could manage moving the sleepers!
Having seen some tragic events
related to fun on the water, Flo has developed a respect for the sea. When
taking a break though, she holidays abroad and loves tropical climes. She is
fascinated by Africa and its culture but still, like everyone else, hops across
the Channel for wine and other necessities as well as visiting her family. She
enjoyed her day swimming with dolphins and hopes to do it again once her son is
older.
Flo once organized a visit by a Viking
re-enactment group who then went on a crusade. As well as attracting publicity,
Flo learnt more about history. As she doesn’t have much free time she is not a
great reader but enjoys play acting the characters in her son’s story books.
She loves to listen to reggae and listens to Van Morrison’s ‘Brown Eyed Girl’
if she needs cheering up.
Keeping
fluent in her native tongue she also listens to her most valued possession ….a
radio that picks up all the French radio stations. Flo teaches languages and
uses the fun and enjoyment method she experienced when being taught Italian.
If you
would like to learn some French which is especially pertinent to crossing the
Channel in your boat, look out for the course that Flo hopes to run for the
Association next winter but be warned…she likes hard workers!
Red diesel update
The Chancellor of the Exchequer has
set the date for when the new EU fuel duty on marine diesel will be
implemented. The good news is that we have 18 months to persuade him not to do
anything stupid, such as increasing the cost of marine fuel up to road prices.
The date set is 1st November
2008. The British Marine Federation, together with the RYA and boating
press are working hard and have submitted a set of suggestions to HM Revenue
& Customs. A copy of their full letter appears in May’s edition of PBO. The
proposals are simple-a two tier system for the continuation of red diesel, with
a 21p leisure tax paid at the pump. If you agree with these ideas, or have some
of your own, it is still not too late to write to HMR&C or, preferably,
your local MP
Contact the editor
I would like to thank all those who
took the time to contact me with articles and information for this edition.
Articles are already being collected for future publications of the SHBHA
newsletter and are welcomed by the Editor for consideration.
Get in touch! Either by email editor@shbha.co.uk
Or by
post Roy
Sydney,
75 Collington Ave,
Bexhill-on-Sea TN39 3RA
Cautionary Tales (1)
Weever fish
A bather
or angler by the sea, who feels a sharp jab in the foot or finger, followed by
a searing pain in the leg or arm, has probably been stung by a weever fish, the
only venomous fish in the British seas.
The fish,
about 4-6inches long, lies buried in the sand, with only its first dorsal fin
and eyes above the surface looking for shrimps and other small crustaceans and
fish which are its main food source.
The spines supporting the back fin have venom glands, and there are
other venom filled spines on each gill cover. Anyone stung by a weever should
seek medical advice as Arthur Preou (North harbour) notified in a recent
email. He wrote:
‘I see
there is a first aid course planned for Thursday 19th April*, this may be a
good time to mention or remind the members and friends, including the first aid
trainer, of the clear and present danger of the "weever fish"
now present in their HUNDREDS in our local shallow beach water.
I got
stung last Saturday on the middle finger, the pain was so great I ended up in
the hospital at Eastbourne from 15:30 hrs to 19:30hrs.
My problem
was that for the first hour I could not get any information from the local
health centre or the NHS information line, so I kept my hand cold with an
ice pack!!! This is completely the wrong way round. To get the pain levels down
you need to put the part stung into the hottest water you can stand.
Until this
nasty fish leaves the shallow water to spawn, nobody should wade into the sea
without protection on their feet and be very careful what they do as this could
be very hard if they sat down in the wrong place in the sea!
It's a
long story as to how I got stung on the finger, I will explain one day.
Good information can be had by
access to the web information pages from the BBC.’
*You will be pleased to know that
this very problem was covered in the recent first aid courses as part of the
poisons section. There is one first aid course still to run on the 12th
May. Contact Jenny (01323 471888)